Man who drove truck onto frozen river admits killing dog

Andrew Mayer has pleaded guilty to third-degree animal cruelty, authorities said

TOMS RIVER -- A Toms River man who drove his car onto a frozen river until it crashed through the ice last year has admitted to being responsible for the death of a dog in the truck when it went under.

Andew Mayer(New Jersey State Police) 

Andrew Mayer, 29, pleaded guilty Monday to third-degree animal cruelty in the March 1, 2015, incident on the Toms River, said Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph Coronato.

At Mayer's sentencing, which is scheduled for Dec. 9, Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor Heidi Tannenbaum-Newman will seek to have Mayer serve 364 days in the Ocean County Jail before being placed on probation. The prosecutor will also seek restitution to the emergency personnel who responded to the scene, Coronato said.

In a combined request from State Police and Toms River Fire District No. 1, the restitution amounts to about $15,000, said Al Della Fave, spokesman for the prosecutor's office.

In addition, authorities will seek to have him agree to never again own a pet, the prosecutor said.

Before Superior Court Judge James Blaney on Monday, Mayer admitted that he knowingly or recklessly failed to provide the necessary care for his 2-year-old boxer-lab dog, Rolo, by driving his pickup truck onto the frozen Toms River in Pine Beach shortly after midnight.

Driver faces animal cruelty charges

Authorities have said Mayer was doing donuts on the ice. A relative of Mayer has said the dog was not in the vehicle at the time but jumped into the Mazda B2200 pickup truck while it was stopped on the ice.

When the ice cracked, the pickup truck, with Mayer and his dog inside, sank in the frigid water.

Coronato said Mayer failed to notify authorities about the incident when he got safely to shore, prompting rescue crews to search the icy water for hours for potential victims.

It was only after that search attempt that authorities learned Mayer got out unharmed but his dog did not.

The search operation involved the U.S. Coast Guard's Aviation Unit, the New Jersey State Police Aviation Unit, the marine units from State Police and several local police departments, and the fire companies and first aid squads from Toms River, Beachwood, Pine Beach and Island Heights.

The case was jointly investigated by the New Jersey State Police, NJSPCA, Ocean County Prosecutor's Office, as well as the Toms River, Pine Beach, Beachwood and Island Heights police departments.